Luke 15:25
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
Original Language Analysis
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
3 of 19
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
υἱὸς
son
G5207
υἱὸς
son
Strong's:
G5207
Word #:
4 of 19
a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship
αὐτοῦ
his
G846
αὐτοῦ
his
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
5 of 19
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
6 of 19
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
πρεσβύτερος
elder
G4245
πρεσβύτερος
elder
Strong's:
G4245
Word #:
7 of 19
older; as noun, a senior; specially, an israelite sanhedrist (also figuratively, member of the celestial council) or christian "presbyter"
ἀγρῷ·
the field
G68
ἀγρῷ·
the field
Strong's:
G68
Word #:
9 of 19
a field (as a drive for cattle); genitive case, the country; specially, a farm, i.e., hamlet
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
10 of 19
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ὡς
as
G5613
ὡς
as
Strong's:
G5613
Word #:
11 of 19
which how, i.e., in that manner (very variously used, as follows)
ἐρχόμενος
he came
G2064
ἐρχόμενος
he came
Strong's:
G2064
Word #:
12 of 19
to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
τῇ
G3588
τῇ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
14 of 19
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
οἰκίᾳ
to the house
G3614
οἰκίᾳ
to the house
Strong's:
G3614
Word #:
15 of 19
properly, residence (abstractly), but usually (concretely) an abode (literally or figuratively); by implication, a family (especially domestics)
συμφωνίας
musick
G4858
συμφωνίας
musick
Strong's:
G4858
Word #:
17 of 19
unison of sound ("symphony"), i.e., a concert of instruments (harmonious note)
Historical Context
In agrarian Palestine, the eldest son typically managed the estate and would have been working in the fields supervising laborers or personally tending crops and livestock. His return at day's end to find unexpected celebration would have been startling. Music and dancing accompanied significant Jewish celebrations—weddings, festivals, victories. The elaborate nature of this celebration signaled an extraordinary event worthy of community-wide joy.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the elder brother's location 'in the field' symbolize dutiful service disconnected from joyful relationship?
- In what ways might believers today be 'in the field' working for God while missing His heart of celebration over the redeemed?
- What does the scale of the celebration teach about the appropriate Christian response to conversion and restoration?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. The narrative shifts to introduce the elder brother, whose response reveals the second major threat to relationship with God—not scandalous sin but self-righteous religion. He was "in the field" (ἐν ἀγρῷ, en agrō), dutifully working while celebration erupted at home. His location symbolizes distance from the father's heart despite physical proximity to the father's estate—he labors in the inheritance but misses the family joy.
The phrase "he heard musick and dancing" (συμφωνίας καὶ χορῶν, symphōnias kai chorōn) indicates elaborate celebration. The word symphōnia (συμφωνία) refers to harmonious music, perhaps multiple instruments playing together. The term choroi (χοροί, plural of choros) means dancing, communal celebration with movement. The scope of this feast—audible from a distance—reveals the father's extravagant joy and the household's full participation.
This verse exposes the tragedy of joyless duty. The elder brother has been faithful externally, working the father's fields, but he's excluded from the father's joy. He represents those who serve God from obligation rather than love, who resent grace shown to others, who measure their worth by comparison to greater sinners. His distance from the celebration despite proximity to the house parallels the Pharisees' spiritual condition—close to God's kingdom externally, far from His heart internally.